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Daytona Beach Campus - College of Aviation

Aeronautical Science Department

Current News

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JetBlue Airways Training Agreement

Embry-Riddle has been contracted by JetBlue Airways to help train the airline's flight instructors. The agreement calls for Embry-Riddle to deliver both the "Initial Training Course" and the "Recurrent Training Course" to JetBlue's College of Flight instructors. The instruction, which will be done by the Aeronautical Science Department of Embry-Riddle's College of Aviation, is designed to enrich the pilot training programs for JetBlue's fleet of Airbus and Embraer aircraft.

"The flight training programs at JetBlue University rank among the best in the world," said Mike Barger, vice-president at JetBlue University. "Our collaboration with Embry-Riddle will allow us to elevate our world class facility to a new level of effectiveness, and our JetBlue crewmembers will benefit greatly from this partnership."

Professor Antonio Cortes is the program's creator and will direct Embry-Riddle's efforts.

Executives at both entities say the program will fuse the cultural values at JetBlue with the proven teaching methods at Embry-Riddle to provide custom-tailored instruction to the JetBlue training environment.

AEROSIM Technologies

The Aeronautical Science Department has incorporated an advanced Virtual Flight Deck computer-based training program, produced by AEROSIM Technologies, into the curriculum. This program allows airline-type training devices to be utilized while delivering several academic courses: Flight Technique Analysis, Advanced Avionics, Jet Transport Systems and International Flight Operations. This advanced approach to academics helps prepare the students for a lifetime of aviation experiences by applying the most recent technologies in their initial and advanced aeronautical courseware.

Flight Training at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Upgraded!

The nation's leading aviation university is upgrading the manner in which future airline pilots are trained. The program will be offered by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at its campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz.

"After three years of severe financial distress in the commercial aviation industry, a strong recovery is now under way. Airlines, both domestic and international, are enjoying higher passenger volume, orders for new aircraft are picking up, and profitability is returning to many carriers," Kiplinger said following a Feb. 3 visit to the university's Daytona Beach campus.

"This augurs well for pilot employment prospects, especially with many older pilots planning their retirements in the coming few years," Kiplinger said. "Looking further out, the demand for pilots should remain very strong, as robust global economic growth stimulates air traffic for both passengers and cargo. Embry-Riddle is wise to be anticipating this growing demand with its new pilot education program."

"Embry-Riddle's new curriculum takes advantage of an array of sophisticated flight-training devices that simulate the jet aircraft used by regional airlines, as well as the smaller planes used in introductory flight training. The devices allow students to become better pilots faster and at a lower cost than before".

"We've been watching the airlines for years," said Tim Brady, dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus. "We've shaped our Aeronautical Science degree program into one that trains students the same way the airlines train their pilots."

For the complete article, see http://www.erau.edu/er/newsmedia/newsreleases/2004/aerosci.html

Program Change Letter From Dr. Esser

April 21, 2003

Dear Aeronautical Science Student,

I wanted to contact each of you so that you are aware of an exciting option available this Fall semester. Many of you were already aware that the university was planning to upgrade the Beechcraft turbo-prop simulator with a Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Level 6 Flight Training Device (FTD) with a state-of-the-art all-glass flight deck and full visual.

The two-credit hour course taught in the CRJ is FA 420. This course will have several advantages over the AS 430/AS 470 requirements currently in the Airline Pilot Area of Concentration (AP AOC). The CRJ is what most of our graduates will be flying after graduation as airlines phase out turboprops with regional jets. Having this on campus will eliminate the need to travel to Orlando for training. A big advantage for our students will be the major reduction in flight fees associated with the course. The flight fee for FA 420 is $3500 and this one course will take the place of the two old courses, which would have cost $9000! (FA 420 = AS 430 + AS 470). The course is planned with at least 40 hours of ground training and approximately 20 hours in the FTD.  If you are enrolled in either AS 430 or AS 470 in the Fall semester you will be converted to an FA 420 section in the same time slot.

For students in the AP AOC, by taking FA 420 you will receive credit for AS 470 and MET credit for AS 430. MET credit means you will not have to take AS 430 to graduate, but you will still need 120 total credit hours. This means that instead of 13 hours of open electives you will have 15 hours of open electives.

Because of this substantial cost reduction we are anticipating that a lot of students who switched to the Aviation Studies AOC  (AS AOC) for financial reasons may wish to switch back to the AP AOC, and we will assist you in that change. The FA 420 course will be available for AS AOC students even if they still wish to remain in the AS AOC as long as they have the prerequisites (AS 345 already required, AS 385, AS 420, AS 452). Students in the AS AOC could take these as part of the 32 hours of open electives in that AOC. None of this will change your catalog.

For our international students, the ATSA restrictions still apply, but the U.S. Department of Justice has opened the Web site allowing the required background checks for approval to train for aircraft over 12,500 pounds. More from me on this to follow.

I am sure you find this good news and will have questions. Please call  386/226-7972 or 7973 or 7975 to have your questions answered and for information on how to register for the FA 420 in the Fall if you are not already signed up for AS 430 or AS 470. Remember,  you must have the prerequisites mentioned above and must prove U.S. citizenship by an original Birth Certificate, valid U.S. Passport, or original naturalization papers.  Have a great summer and see you in September!

Sincerely,  

Dave Esser

Professor and Associate Chair, Aeronautical Science

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